Ash UK/US

I found something out yesterday that I did not know... According to the United Airlines website anyone travelling to or via Heathrow may have only 1 piece of hand luggage total. In the past you could have a hand bag or diaper bag in addition to your hand luggage but seems now it all has to be in one.

I think it is a good move... maybe next time I fly I will be able to get a bag into the over head bin!

Ash

Jerseygirl

I don't know about flights into the UK...I fly Continental and they don't have that restriction. It is certainly true from all flights out of the UK...one piece of hand luggage only. At Manchester airport the staff at the security checks were sending people back to check in if they had more than one piece of hand luggage...and they were being quite abrasive about it.

Ash UK/US

Last trip I made back there was a family of 5 adults sat 2 rows infront of us (center section of seats)... they had the over head bins filled up to 2 rows behind us :curse: we had paid for 3 seats and could not get 1 bag up in the over head bin above us, when I complained all the cabin crew did was to take my bag towards the back to store it.

I think the 1 bag policy is a good idea.

Sentosa

They brought this rule in the 1st January, we flew back from Garwick on the 8th Jan, I had a small back pack and a handbag I was told only one piece of hand luggage so I said no problem I would put it in my back pack as it was half empty, I was told no I had to empty it out into my back pack and then put the handbag into my check in luggage. I asked why they were doing it and was told that because all hand luggage had to be searched it was causing long delay's and at Christmas the lines for getting through had up to a 3 hour wait. The lady at the check in desk also said that the Americans were the worst offenders for wanting to carry on lot's of hand luggage.

Muqawim

While I also think it's a good idea, I think that exceptions should be made for those carrying laptops! Regular size laptop bags (not laptop 'backpacks') do not exactly hold more than the laptop and its accessories.

Titchski

I like the new rules, I definitely think its made boarding and disembarking quicker. Having said that, I'm an adult male with no children, even my missus can condense her crap, I mean essentials, down into one (admittedly TARDIS like) bag.

Duncan Roberts

There's no rules saying you can't put a bag in a bag. You can stick a handbag/laptop bag inside a bigger carry on and not break the rules.

Muqawim

Yeah, but that would be worse. I would never carry those big carry-ons that people usually do. But since this rule came into effect, and since I always carry a laptop with me when traveling, I will have to take one of those goddamn big carry-ons to make up for the laptop + small backpack that I usually carried before ! So how effective is this 'rule', really? I don't know. I do see quite a few people with laptops, and it's actually more time consuming to be removing the laptop from the big carry-on for the security check than it is to just remove it from its own bag. I think that it would've been better if quantity allowed remained at 2, and instead people would have to place their carry-ons in one of those measuring things to make sure that both fit in there. If it does then I don't see why anyone should bother putting a bag into a bag into a bag. It's just pure childishness if the real purpose is to make sure people don't hog the carry-on cabin. Besides, I thought that airlines that had flights through Heathrow were supposed to alert passengers during check-in about the new rules, because I can assure you it ain't fun finding out about the new rules after you land at Heathrow and having to go through all the pain of checking in a bag! If they are to continue doing that, they should open a luggage store right in the middle of the connection flights area so that someone who doesn't want to check in their bags (for different reasons, for example, having fragile electronics stuff in there) would be able to fit them into a larger carry-on and be allowed through , and not miss their flight!!

Alternately, if it is about traffic at the airport, then add more security check line-up areas!! At the entrance to terminal 3, there are two, and only one is functional, even at peak hours!!!

And if it's about overloading the cabin and taking up more space than you are allowed to, then what about obese people ? Then they should not be allowed to go through at Heathrow unless they prove that they have paid for two seats. That actually is far more important than stopping someone carrying a small 'extra' laptop bag... I mean, have you ever had to take up only HALF the seat you paid for, because there is a fat person sitting next to you?

Jerseygirl

That's exactly what was happening at Manchester...they wouldn't allow people to put one bag inside the other. Instead they were making them go back to check in.

gsnichol

I had the same issue as you. So I bought a padded neoprene zip-up 'sleeve' sort of thing for my laptop. Now I just put my laptop in the sleeve and then into a normal backpack. The padding is sufficient to protect the laptop and anyway it's also protected by further padding from the backpack and the contents, usually a newspaper, book, jumper etc. Small things. When going through security I just leave the laptop inside the sleeve and nobody has complained.

Personally I'd be all for banning all hand luggage except something laptop/briefcase/handbag/small backpack sized. It seems over here many travellers have some sort of pathological fear of checking luggage. Take on the flight only what you will need and check the rest.... if nothing else it makes going to the departure lounge toilets a lot easier if you're not lugging a case behind you...

gsnichol

I wonder if this is a recent crackdown? I flew out of LGW in mid-July and plenty of ladies were putting their handbags inside a larger shopping bag and weren't told to go back and check one of them.

TruBrit

you are allowed take two carry on bags in but only one piece of carry on when leaving Gatwick or Heathrow. same rule applies with all airlines flying into and out of those two airports. don't know about airports up north, don't use them.

TruBrit

yes that's ok, i do that. i put my handbag into my laptop bag. the only reason they do it is to try to move along the lines that form at the security.

TruBrit

that is correct.

Jerseygirl

Nope they weren't allowing that at Manchester Airport earlier in the year. Goodness knows why...but women who were putting one bag inside another were being refused through security and sent back to check in. Crazy IMHO.

Although someone earlier said this rule was from January 2007...my experience was a few weeks later so maybe they were just being over zealous and things have calmed down a little now.